un·an·tic·i·pat·ed

Not expected or predicted.

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September 17 (Monday)

The bespectacled girl erased the whiteboard’s remaining markings dazedly as she recalled the day’s happenings. Gongchan had apologized to her repeatedly about Saturday’s incident, and he mentioned his absence to be related with an early morning emergency which left him tired afterwards. Upon waking at a time too late, he felt guilty and he wanted to text her, but his cellphone was out of battery. After its revival, Gongchan wanted to send an apologetic text but he found it insufficient. And so, that led to the dramatic scene of his fierce display of contrition that morning by her house gate. It caught Kyung Mi off-guard, but she received it slowly. The shock and despair that swallowed her whole that Saturday was not a feeling to be messed with.

It was undeniable that Kyung Mi had forgiven him due to his sincerity, but mostly it was because she wanted to. It hurt her immensely, but she still wanted to believe that it was just a slip-up. A major one at that, however.

“… What’s with you on Friday morning though?” was what she had to inquire of. The nineteen year old had smiled sheepishly earlier that day.

“There’s was a deadline for a project,” explained Gongchan as they walked to school that morning. “I thought I had passed it up the day before, but then I realized that I hadn’t when I woke up. So I rushed over to school hoping that I could place it in before the teacher arrived.” A grin proceeded to decorate his features, adding that he did make it. It was then Kyung Mi hesitated. There it was, the perfect opportunity to shed light about her sister’s and Gongchan’s seemingly suspicious and vague relationship but she just couldn’t do it.

Also, pertaining to the topic of her older sister, Kyung Mi lamely realized that there was no way Min Jae could join their morning routine because she was always early at school for particular duties. So it wasn’t really her fault, the eighteen year old figured. It was just a useless thought that she had forgotten the other day. Besides, she didn’t know if she really wanted her sister there when she hardly knew what to conclude about the recent incidents. Therefore, even though she was tempted to prod Gongchan more about the delicate situation, she was unable to bring herself to do it. Perhaps it was partly out of cowardice, actually. And so it was mostly peaceful until they arrived together at the gates of their school, in which they then parted to their individual classes. Han Kyung Mi often journeyed at a considerable time with her older best friend, so that they never needed to rush if they had classroom duties. One of those days coincidentally happened to be today for her.

In a dilatory mien, Kyung Mi continued her simple task by taking up a whiteboard marker and wrote the date whilst leaving a space for the attendance. A quiet sigh articulated as she finally returned to her seat that was at the second row, waiting patiently for the rest of her classmates to enter. Since the exams were drawing dangerously near, the tinted spectacled girl decided that she should be studying instead of wasting time. Subsequently, she emptied out a few books onto the table for studying purposes and began her determined read. However, it was a task she found to be difficult that day due to her clouded thoughts.

“I must study…” she deplored inwardly. In the peace in which that finally got to her, she continued. She did so rather significantly until a voice made her shiver unintentionally.

“Han Kyung Mi.”

Her head jerked upwards to meet Oh Sehun’s lackadaisical expression. The eighteen year old classmate noted her astonished self before registering a more polite greeting.

“Good morning,” he added with a slight drawl that bordered laziness. The girl was still quite stunned by his unexpected appearance, and so she spoke the first words that fleeted past her mind.

“Sehun!” exclaimed Kyung Mi in a subtle rush. “Um, you’re quite early…?” This time, it was his turn to look taken aback. He looked towards the rest of the vast class before returning his flat gaze, inclining his head to the side imperceptibly due to deep thinking.

“… I don’t think so,” refuted Sehun lightly, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards in amusement. Then the smile was gone. Something told the girl that the boy was not one to hold positive regards and airs for long periods of time.

Honestly, the bespectacled girl couldn’t help but to feel like this current situation was considerably peculiar. Firstly, the boy who would never fail to sit in the corner of the classroom was actually sitting across her, which would indirectly mean the first row. Then again, the lack of people might actually have played a bigger role than she initially assumed but she was certain that he was not some shy individual. Was it bad as well that she was beginning to think that he was similar to Gongchan? Or maybe she was getting far too tangled in her best friend due to her crush. She wasn’t exactly too sure any more, and the female student didn’t favour the feeling at all. The male was patient, nevertheless, waiting for her to ponder about things in silence as he too, remained noiseless. Finally, Kyung Mi glanced at Oh Sehun once more, sitting in a fashion that she would have least expected.

Perhaps one of the main reasons that she had not noticed his entry was the fact that didn’t exactly shift the chair’s position. It was merely pulled out — well, perhaps lifted out — and he merely sat facing her. Pretty much destroying the chair’s purpose to relax one’s back, in her opinion. Even so, it had not obstructed his apparent intent. Having her attention once more, Sehun then reached into his bag and pulled out a thin wrapped box, one adorning a pale mix of colours. She couldn’t tell as to what it really was without her best friend around, and it would have been queer to ask her companion of its colour.

“For you,” chuckled Sehun shortly, probably finding the tension in the atmosphere to be taxing. “I felt like giving you something more substantial than cotton candy.” Kyung Mi began a slight protest, mentioning there was no need to be so kind. Rarely, this was one of the moments in which he actually about being a humblebrag.

“I am not a humblebrag!” interrupted Kyung Mi with a slight scowl, thinking of that word’s dreadful meaning. It was a dirty tactic where one would depreciate oneself to inadvertently show off. Suddenly Sehun’s face softened without a single warning.

“Kyung Mi,” he began, his eyes taking note that she had received his gift already. “Are you alright?” The bespectacled girl froze upon hearing those words. She blinked. She proceeded to stare back at him with great perplexity.

“I believe so?” answered the eighteen year old slowly. The boy paused, and then realized his mistake.

“Ah,” he amended carefully. “I meant… something related to a few days ago.” The bespectacled girl felt a chill running down her spine. There was absolutely no way that he knew right? It wasn’t like her to mistrust people, but she didn’t exactly inform Sehun of anything albeit he might be aware of her artistic passion. Surely not?

All at once, his eyes began to gleam with inner fire, lighting up the deadness that usually drifted between the windows of his hidden soul.

“Go on for your dreams even if they break your heart,” he actually whispered, with eyes that never left her. And then, Kyung Mi was convinced that he knew somehow. Maybe not about her best friend that failed to make it that Saturday morning, but about her tearful leave. Something about the gloomy rain and throng of people that made her feel that he was there. Perhaps it was even to do with the people with umbrellas that had annoyingly obstructed her on the way out. Maybe, just maybe, it was the one time she spun around to look for that sole familiarity back then.

“Oh Sehun,” she began bravely with a mild nature attached to it. “Were you…?” Her words never managed to elucidate their purpose, but it was not by the rude interruption of the stoic male or anything like that. It was the bell, the ringing that would cause all remaining students who were loitering outside classrooms to officially prepare for the day’s lessons. So a ghostly smile was all she was able to attain aside from the unexpected gift, and he returned to his usual seat by the corner of the room.

Students began spilling into the place, with joyous greetings and heartfelt worries about the examinations that were to take place soon. As they promptly settled themselves in their respective seats, Kyung Mi couldn’t help but to feel curious about the male’s gift. It was simple in appearance, and she was sorely tempted to undo the gift. Casting a discreet glance in the male’s direction, he did not do anything to discourage or encourage her when it pertained to the rectangular box. Like a thief working in the night, the female began unwrapping the present beneath her desk, truly wondering as to what it was. She smiled upon discovery, for Sehun had given her a plain yet useful item — a pen. It appeared as though it was finely designed, and so she knew it took him some time to search for it instead of a random pick at the store.

And that was nice, actually. To be aware that another had not just thoughtlessly done something. Lifting the pen slightly so that the one in the corner could see it, Kyung Mi mouthed out her word of thanks. Strangely, the passionless looking male began gesticulating subtly about something. The eighteen year old girl indicated that she did not understand, but finally the male opted for a demonstration. He took up a smooth pen of his own, and showed that she was to hold on to a certain aluminium strip that was at the side. Frowning a little, she only followed his move painstakingly until she reached it. The male then signalled her to loosen it, therefore pulling it outwards. It was hidden well within the pen, and so a considerable amount of force was needed to budge it. She was so afraid to ruin it by accident, so she intended to seek his assistance once more but it was then Sehun turned away from her. He would not look.

Allowing a suspire to form, Kyung Mi braved herself and pulled it outwards, hoping she had not misunderstood his signal. Having done so, her eyes widened behind her tinted spectacles as it was a pull out banner pen. On the outside layer of the banner, it was a detailed calendar in which she could plan her days easily. On the inside, there seemed to be something less filling and more original.

“Han Kyung Mi,” it read with a dark text colour. “It might be weird to you that I got a gift, but it’s too late now. I just want to tell you good luck in these upcoming exams and well, thanks for being a friend. You’re actually the first one I ever got a present for so I apologize if it’s weird. That’s all.” At the end, Oh Sehun had signed his name off along with his signature. Kyung Mi was quite amazed when she realized that portion was in his handwriting that was printed out to fit on the banner. She turned around swiftly once more, and this time, he returned her gaze with a tiny smile.

“Thank you,” Kyung Mi couldn’t help but to mention once more. And those words, in spite of being left unsaid, she knew it reached him. Turning back to the pen, she hastily marked the first thing on the banner as the teacher was already entering the classroom. She circled the 17^th of September and noted it to be the day this pen was given to her. Beside it, a smiley emoticon was placed. And that, surely, was enough before any other details were added afterwards.